TORINO, Italy – Senior Lily Hubanks and sophomore Amae Kam-Magruder of the St. Olaf College women's Nordic skiing team represented the United States at the 2025 FISU Winter World University Games held earlier this month at Pragelato Plan.

Hubanks and Kam-Magruder competed in five events as part of the four-member U.S. women's cross country skiing team at the 11-day event, which included over 1,500 competitors from 54 nationals in 90 events across 11 sports. This year's event was the 32nd edition of the FISU Winter World University Games, which originated in France in 1960 and are the largest international winter multi-sport event for student-athletes.

"The World University Games were an eye-opening experience in different cultures, racing strategies, and more," Kam-Magruder said. "Not only was it challenging physically, but it also pushed me out of my comfort zone to race in a completely new environment. My favorite memory is of the first race when Lily and I realized we produced some amazing results. It feels good to have a great race under your belt, but it feels even better knowing someone you respect and love did awesome as well. We met some really cool people and definitely made some lifelong friends. The whole team were great people and were super supportive. It was definitely an experience I will never forget."

Kam-Magruder and Hubanks began the event in the 10K Individual Freestyle on Wednesday, Jan. 15, with Kam-Magruder placing 27th (30:32.7) and Hubanks 33rd (30:58.1). Two days later, Kam-Magruder took 40th (3:59.52) and Hubanks was 51st (4:08.92) in the Sprint Classic Qualifier.

On Sunday, Jan. 19, Kam-Magruder teamed with Philip Matthews of Paul Smith's College for a 27th-place finish (8:00.45) as one of two USA relays in the Mixed Team Sprint Freestyle. After another day off, Kam-Magruder and Hubanks were the first and final legs of the USA's 4x7.5K Relay that finished 10th of 12 (1:29:49.4).

The duo wrapped up the event in the 20K Mass Start Classic on Thursday, with Hubanks recording a 17th-place performance (1:12:36.1) and Kam-Magruder not far behind in 23rd (1:18:22.4).

"I felt a lot of uncertainty going into the Games, as I had never raced at the international level before and wasn't sure what to expect," Hubanks said. "Luckily, we had really thoughtful coaches who guided us through the first couple of days, helping us settle in and set attainable goals for each race. The whole experience helped me better understand myself as a skier and a person and showed me how rewarding it is to try things out of my comfort zone. The most rewarding part for me was being able to meet skiers from all over the world who are also at university. I'm so grateful I had the chance to ski in a beautiful place, meet so many people, and share it with another Ole!"